Light in My Darkness
by pali99
Summary: a year after the war of Hogwarts, everyone returns to Hogwarts to finish their schooling. The darkness of death still hangs over everyone, but can an unlikely Malfoy break through the gloom? Story is better than summary  we hope  Rating may be overkill
1. Chapter 1

**A/N 1 Hey, everyone! I'm Lily the Amazing Evans. But you can call me (insert dramatic music here) Agent N. Agent Q (aka pali99) drew up a bubble map (well, not quite. Actually it was a beautiful, if very rough, rough draft) for this story, and I wrote the rest of the story! Just so you know, those letters (N and Q) were randomly generated so as to protect our identity from creepers like you. Then again, it's creepers like you who review our magnificent story… Go on, then. Review!****  
><strong>  
><em>AN2 Ok so this is how the whole team-writing thing goes. Agent N and I (agent Q)met at a secret drop point in which I gave Agent Q a very nicely drawn bubble map. Agent Q looked at me and refused to take it saying that it was rubbish. I took it back and wrote a simple rougf draft that I then brought to Agent Q at another rendezvous point. They were a little more accepting now. Then Agent N added all of this fluffy stuff, you know like the stuff in marshmallows, and dropped it back to me who then published. So this would have never been possible without Agent N. or you would have killed me if you saw the original, Agent N was about to. _

Epilogue

_**We own nothing, if we did Agent N would totally freak.**_

Hermione's P.O.V.  
>"I'm going to kill you Potter," sneered a very enraged Malfoy. Well, that was one way to start the new semester. Not the best way, might I add. Pondering this, I swung around to watch the source of the noise.<p>

Draco Malfoy was sprawled out on the floor at Harry's wand point. I couldn't help but to smile. I knew Harry would hesitate to hex anyone, even Dra- Malfoy. Malfoy got up with his back towards me and I could tell that they were in the middle of some stupid argument by the way Ginny rolled her eyes at them and backed away, not wanting to be dragged into the middle of their argument.

I decided that as a prefect I should probably break this up. I approached Malfoy to grab his wand before he shot Harry with some stupid spell that would make him grow six eyes, but to my surprises he didn't attack back. I could see it all from a yard away. He quickly spun around on his heels and started running away from the area of the fight. I quickly attempted to step out of the way, but apparently I wasn't quite fast enough.

He ran into me with such force that I suspected something was sprained. Or broken. Judging by the resounding crack and excruciating pain shooting up from my leg and through my side, the latter was true. My vision began to blur with pain, and I could barely make out the words he said as he drawled

"Filthy mudblood."  
>He was about to turn and exit again, as his first escape hadn't gone as planned, when my involuntary moan caused him to stop and look back at me. His faced looked rather frightened, which soon turned to despair mingling with regret. But that was likely regret that he would get in trouble. He couldn't be SORRY for hurting me. <p>

He held out his hand, but I shook my head, grimacing. A strange emotion coursed through me. It felt like- but, no, it couldn't be embarrassment. He ran into me, not the other way round. I shook my head to clear it of the pain-induced haze, and managed to get out a strangled,  
>"Why do you even care, Malfoy?" but speaking nauseated me. He seemed to realize that serious damage had been done, and backed away, looking pale and muttering. I was almost certain he was angry. But, in hindsight, I realize he must've been frightened of being punished. Who could he be angry at? If my delusional memories serve me right, he was mad at himself. This just reminds me never to trust my own judgment on things like that. At this point I was losing it. I was either going to pass out or throw up. <p>

Ginny stepped up to help me up. " What was that about?" she asked Harry.  
>"Just Malfoy being Malfoy." he said absently. The look on his face led me to believe that his fight had more of an impact on him than he was inclined to admit, but I was in no state to ask for an explanation. <p>

I tried to wriggle upright, but that sent spasms of pain up my side and I yelped. That was what brought Harry back into the present, and his face contorted in anger. 

"He hurt Hermione! I'll kill him, the git!" for some reason, I felt like I had to stand up for Malfoy. Maybe because I knew Harry's temper and didn't think anyone deserved to face it. 

"Oh, come on, Harry, he didn't mean to!" Harry looked rather shocked, but must have put my comment down to delirium, because he said  
>"I'm taking you to the hospital wing, missy." I sighed as he levitated me through the halls, Ginny close behind. <p>

Harry, after half an hour and quite a bit of persuading, left me alone in the Hospital Wing. As soon as he left, who should appear from the shadows but an ashen-faced Malfoy himself. The sight of him sent a tingle down my spine (although I'm sure tingling sensations was one of the side effects of Madame Pomfrey's potion) and a flush of color to my cheeks. 

He seemed to choke back tears until, after a few attempts, he let out a strangled, "I'm so sorry, Hermione." A single tear tracked down his face. He angrily wiped it away with his sleeve. 

"That's mudblood to you, isn't it?" I replied coldly. Maybe I was too harsh, or maybe he's just freakishly sensitive, but he crumpled into the corner, and the look on his face was despair.  
>I shouldn't care. He's Malfoy. But I do, and I'm not sure I can help it. I don't even know what I said wrong.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I've wished for the rights to Hp… I think I need a new wishing star. It turns out mine was an airplane.  
>AN1 Lily the Amazing Evans here… I mean, Agent N, at your service! We won't update until we have 5 reviews. It's not much to ask, really.  
>Chapter 1<p>

A/N2- I am 150% supporting agent N because you guys are making me feel really pathetic. I want to go crawl into a hole and cry because that's how sad I really feel.

Draco's P.O.V.  
>It was a brand new day. The war had finally ceased. Many were gone, but those who remained would live in peace for a very long time.<br>It broke my heart to think that I had been on the wrong side. Everyone else was rejoicing, but I had no reason to be happy. At least I hadn't been thrown into Azkaban. The same couldn't be said for my family.  
>I had nothing to do for weeks, just gaze at the rubble left of my school. All of us who had no home to were staying at Hogwarts. I would spend hours on end just sitting around like I was waiting for an opportunity to be freed. But, today I was going to get a letter that would change my life.<br>Hermione's P.O.V.  
>"Will everyone join us in the kitchen please?" Mrs. Weasley inquired. In my opinion she looked amazing for just having lost one of her sons to a war. "We have to ask you all about something." I myself was a bit blue. When I attempted to return to my parents I couldn't find them. I had searched everywhere I thought they might be, but it was no use. I was somewhat an orphan. Luckily the Weasleys were more than happy to invite me to live with them. It was the year after the war and Ginny, Ron, and I were all going back to Hogwarts to finish our schooling. Harry, on the other hand, had passed his test and was already working. As much as Ron annoyed me from time to time and as much as I loved Ginny I would sometimes have to avoid her by pretending that I really wanted to hang out with Ron just because she wouldn't stop talking about Harry.<br>"Oh Harry just won this award…Harry was just promoted…Harry and I are so in love," god you could write a book, no scratch that you could write several books with all of the "great" things that Ginny says about Harry. It's not that Harry isn't great, but with the entire wizarding world swooning at him, you could at least hope Ginny would be different.  
>We had finally made it down to the kitchen. Everything seemed normal; I didn't think that this would be the moment that would change my life forever. If I had known what was coming, I probably would've curled up into a ball under the covers and never come out.<br>"Children," Mrs. Weasley started, "as you know the war has devastated many people, strangers and friends." We all just stared at her not knowing where she was going with this. She sounded so formal. Almost like she had planned out a speech. So far, none of what she had said was altogether new to us.I saw out of the corner of my eye George put his head down just enough so that he could stare at his shoes without anyone noticing. We all knew just how much the war had hurt George in particular. I know from experience that losing a very close family member isn't easy. In comfort I placed my arm on his shoulder and gave him one of those it'll be ok smiles. I knew he wouldn't eat it up, but for my benefit, he gave me a half-hearted smile.  
>"Well I'm going to just go out there and ask," Mr. Weasley said, disturbing the silence, "Mrs. Weasley and I are going to invite Draco Malfoy to stay with us."<br>With that simple statement the entire room filled with the nothingness. I swear I think my jaw opened so wide that I'm surprised it didn't hit the floor. I immediately stood up.  
>"But, he..he's evil((insert bad word in place of evil)(teehee)) we can't trust him."<br>"Hermione sweet heart," Mrs. Weasley said in attempt to calm me down, "Everyone deserves a second chance and quite frankly poor Draco has no one left in the world to love him."  
>"What about his bloody mother?" Ron quickly snapped back.<br>"Ronald watch your mouth," Mr. Weasley interjected with a glare.  
>"Doesn't 'mummy' love him very much?" Ron continued, paying no heed to his mother's warning glance.<br>"Kids we're inviting him to stay no matter your opinion, we just thought that we would let you know." This was it. I thought that moment my life was going to end right then and there. Malfoy? Why? Even after all he had done to Ron, Harry, and me. I was just about to say more when my heart tugged the words away from my mouth. I thought about all that had happened to him. He's basically lost his parents too. I would be just to his level if I didn't agree on it.  
>George seemed most affected by this new relevation. He paled and began to open and close his mouth like a fish.<br>"He- his side… They killed… They killed Fred." George's anger seemed to spread through me. This was a golden opportunity to make life for Malfoy hell. Just like he had done for me.  
>"Fine," I mumbled.<br>"What was that Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
>"I said fine," I answered gruffly. Ron looked like he was about to claw my face off.<br>Mrs. Weasley smiled at me with relief, clearly thinking I was agreeing out of charity.  
>"Don't be mean to Draco. He is our guest. And he arrives in about 3 hours." She added sternly. There goes my plan. With that Mr. Weasley nodded his head as a sort of indication that this meeting was over and everyone quickly got up going their separate ways. I was sharing a room with Ginny and that was where we went.<br>Ginny plopped down on her bed and I on mine. "Can't believe this!" I moaned.  
>"C'mon Hermione you said it yourself we have to give him a chance." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was making fun of me. "Who knows this could be a good thing and you two could fall madly in love and have little Malfoy babies." With that last comment I threw my pillow at her as hard as I could. Sadly, pillows don't usually hurt. Although I didn't hurt Ginny, I'd say I hurt the pillow pretty badly. The air filled with feathers, and I realized the seam had caught on her wand, ripping it open. "Hey just kidding!" She exclaimed.<br>I grumbled, magically repairing the pillow, and said,  
>"I'm taking a nap don't wake me up when he gets here." I turned around and slowly drifted to sleep.<br>I was in a room with someone else, but I didn't know who the someone else was. Their back was towards me so all I could see was that they were very tall and had whitish-blond hair. From the back the person was good looking. "Excuse me." I said. "Who are you?" I continued. The person turned around slowly and then shock hit my face it was Malfoy himself.  
>Awful dream, really, just awful.<br>I suddenly awoke hot and sweaty. I looked up and saw that Ginny wasn't in the room. I decided that in her absence I would go take a shower to freshen up. Not that I wanted to look good for stupid Malfoy, but to just be fresh. 45 minutes till my life officially ended.  
>21mins ago<br>Draco's P.O.V.  
>I really couldn't believe that I was standing at the Weasleys' doorstep. So much had happened that day that I didn't even know if I was thinking straight. Should I really be doing this? I knew that all of them hated my guts and that I might just be more miserable here than I was alone, but that wasn't going to stop me. I rang the doorbell. The door swung open and there they all were.<br>I didn't expect for them to all be there welcoming and that made my situation about 100 times more awkward than it already was. All except Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were glaring at me. I put on the fakest smile I'm sure they've ever seen and said hello quietly.  
>With that everyone walked away and Mrs. Weasley made a cup of tea. She told me that my trunk was being sent and should be there by dinner time.<br>She then walked out of the room. I thought that I would freshen up before dinner. I didn't know why. I already knew that none of them would ever like me, but there was still this inner sense that I should look my best.  
>One problem with that plan was that I didn't know where the bathroom was. After an internal struggle (This isn't your house! You can't just walk around without permission! You do live here now…) I wandered off to find the bathroom.<br>Hermione's POV  
>I couldn't believe it. He was actually here. I really thought that the Weasleys had been joking, but I guess not. Ginny made me go down to dinner early so we could help set the table. I couldn't believe it, but I think that she was kinda ok with Malfoy staying with us.<br>I mean he never did anything bad directly to her, only to us. Still, I expected her to know what he'd done to everyone else and hate him.  
>Everyone got there about the same time and took their usual seats. I noticed that there was an extra chair right across from me and between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I soon found out that much to my dismay that would be Malfoy's new seat. He came in somewhat smiling. I guess you could call it that for Malfoy. His usually dull grayish eyes now shined a bit. He caught me examining his eyes and he smirked. I tried to glare back, but I couldn't hold my face straight and started smiling a bit. I was wondering if I'd gone insane. Smiling at Malfoy?<br>. Ron, who was sitting next to me, gave me a look of disgust.  
>"What? I'm just trying to be friendly unlike some people." I snapped back. The food at dinner was delicious, but no one really wanted to eat because of the tension looming in the room. Mr. Weasley did one of those break the awkward silence moves and asked if we were all excited to head back to school in a few weeks. Of course we weren't. We were going back to a school where, just a year ago, people had killed and been killed. I had killed people. I'm pretty sure we all had. We really didn't need those memories turned up.<br>I couldn't help but notice that everyone in a while Malfoy would look my way with a sly smile. I immediately would look in the other direction and I was sure that my face would turn all shades of pink. Sometimes I would find myself subconsciously glancing over Malfoy's way. Finally dinner was done and we all snuck back up to our rooms.  
>While I was walking upstairs I was so tired that I was lagging behind. When I walked through the corridor Malfoy stopped me.<br>"Do you know where I'm sleeping?" he asked  
>"Wha-Why would I know that?" I was about to turn and march off, but the look in his eyes stopped me. He looked like he was- no, Malfoy wouldn't cry.<br>"I just thought you might because-you know, you live here and stuff." What he had said hit me. He thought I would know where he was sleeping? Was he implying that he was to be sleeping with me? He must have seen the disgust on my face, because he laughed and said  
>"Get your mind out of the gutter, Granger!" I'm sure I was blushing, but I said nothing. After all, it was his fault.<br>"Goodnight Hermione." He said in a nice tone. He said my name. My first name.  
>"Uh Uh good night Dra-Malfoy," I said. I think I was smiling for some odd reason.<br>"Well that was absolutely horrid!" I complained to Ginny as I changed into my nightclothes.  
>"Are you kidding? I saw you two staring at each other the entire time."<br>"Shut- up Ginny," I moaned.  
>"What? It's not my fault I noticed! You were practically undressing each other with your eyes!" I wisely chose to ignore her comment and drifted off to sleep.<br>In my dreams, a blonde haired boy was sitting in the rubble of my school, crying. I reached out my hand to comfort him, but he always seemed to move just out of reach. As I began to wake up, he whispered my name.

"Hermione."

It sent shivers down my spine.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Alas, we own nothing but the dust bunnies under our beds. We're too broke to be sued.  
>AN I, Well, guys, I, Lily the Amazing Evans, wrote this chapter while I was in an angsty mood. The rest of them probably won't be this sad. This chapter leads up into the real romance, which is probably in the next two chapters.  
>Fairy tale life, huh?<p>

A/N 2- Well I basically had nothing to do with this chapter. I love it with a strong passion, but didn't write it. Thanks agent N.

Hermione's POV  
>The first few weeks of summer flew by in a blur for me. No day was free from the pain of knowing how many people had died fighting. The worst part was knowing how many people had died at my hand. I was a murderer<br>Then, sometime a few weeks before we returned to Hogwarts, my parents were located. They had decided to become explorers and were searching in rain forests for some rare poisonous frog. When they had their memories restored, their systems couldn't cope. My father went into shock and eventually died.  
>I guess it should have been expected. When they found out I was a witch, he passed out. When he got a letter saying I had been petrified, he had to go to psychology. When I told him about Horcruxes, he went delirious and told me to hide in my closet while he checked my hairbrush to see if it was a Horcrux. Now he was getting all of that information at once. No wonder he died.<p>

Draco's POV  
>Mrs. Weasley sent me upstairs to tell Hermione to come down for lunch. She wasn't in her bedroom, nor was she talking to Ron and Harry.<br>Of course, I, being an irrational twat, panicked. I started opening every door forcefully, up and down the hallway, until I came to the loo. Of COURSE I panic, and she's in the loo of all places.  
>I was pretty sure it was Granger in the loo, but just to be sure, I called<br>"Hermione? Are you in there?" no answer. I was beginning to feel a bit daft. What if it was one of the twins? If it was, they would never let me forget this.  
>"Go away, Malfoy." She said in a tearful voice. Nope. It was definitely Granger. And she was… Crying?<br>"Hermione?" I asked tentatively  
>No answer. Just a small sniff. Why was she in the loo, crying? My mind went into overload. Was she going to kill herself?<br>Hermione's POV  
>Great. He's probably here to mock me. Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave? I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing I'm crying. I won't.<br>"Hermione?" he called softly, almost pityingly. His voice sounded so soft, so soothing.  
>I WON'T give him that satisfaction. I sniff, trying to calm myself down, clear my throat so I sound normal.<br>"Hermione?" he bangs on the door, sounding anxious now. Does he have to pee that badly?  
>Draco's POV<br>Still no answer.  
>"Hermione, what's wrong?"<p>

Silence

"Hermione, open this door or I'm coming in there!" she laughs. She sounds like she's been crying, but that LAUGH…  
>"Eager much?" she asks. "Can't a girl use the toilet without a man threatening to bust down the door?" she got me there. I was a bit rude.<br>"I'll… I'll just leave. Sorry, 'Mione" oops. I didn't mean to call her Mione…  
>Hermione's POV<br>He called me 'Mione.  
>"Don't leave!" I exclaim. He seemed to hold my world together. His voice seemed to put everything right. I knew it was rubbish, but he seemed so RIGHT.<br>I opened the door slowly, peering into the dimly lit corridor. Had he left?  
>Then, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. I knew that I looked a right mess, but hopefully HE hadn't noticed.<br>The first thing I noticed when he hugged me was how strong he was. He's about twenty centimeters taller than me, which should've been awkward… But it wasn't.  
>His arms wrapped all the way around me, and I felt so safe, with my head on his chest.<br>Draco's POV  
>When Hermione opened the door, she looked like a wreck. Her tears had run down her face, into her hair, and down her shirt.<br>Whoa. Her shirt. It was unbuttoned a bit further than should be legal. Attempting to ignore this, I looked into her eyes. They were like swirling pools of cocoa, filled with tears.  
>I did the only thing I could think of. I hugged her. It was so wrong, but so right.<br>She smells like mangoes and peppermint.  
>Her height is such that her head pressed into my chest, and I buried my face in her soft hair. I'm not sure how long I held her, but at some point, I heard a very familiar cough.<br>Hermione's POV  
>I looked over and saw Ron. Oh, Merlin. A very angry Ron.<br>He opened his mouth and pointed between me and Draco. I thought quickly. How could I convince him that it wasn't what it looked like?  
>I let a tear roll down my cheek and buried my head in Draco's chest, allowing one last sob to shake through me. I hoped it was enough. Peering from under Draco's elbow, I saw that it was.<br>Ron's face softened, and he clearly understood our roles. So cliché. Just like a muggle play.  
>I, the damsel in distress. Draco, the handsome knight who would rescue me and bring me back to Ron, my prince.<br>Draco's POV  
>Weasel. Her boyfriend. Waving letters at me? I broke away from Hermione, slowly pulling myself from her death grip, and turned to Weasel. He shoved one letter to me, then put his arm around Hermione, sliding the other letter into her hand. The message was clear.<br>Stay away from my girl.  
>I opened my letter, tipped it upside down, and then gasped. A shining disk had fallen out. No, a pin. A Head Boy pin.<br>This was just wrong. I was on Voldemort's side, for crying out loud! Was this some cruel joke? Was Weasel playing a trick on me?  
>Hermione's POV<br>Draco had slipped from the room almost unnoticed moments before. I wondered where he had gone, but was quite preoccupied with the lump in my Hogwarts letter.  
>I tore at the wax seal, taking in the familiar green scrawl. When I tipped the letter over, a shining pin fell into my palm.<br>Head Girl. Daddy would've been so proud. I looked up at Ron, and thought  
>In the plays, though, it wouldn't turn out this way. In the plays, Draco would lead me back to the castle, where I would decide that my handsome rescuer was my one true love, not my prince.<br>Real life isn't a fairy tale.


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